


Snowstorms and Good Tidings

by savedatlast



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Christmas, Destiel Ficlet Challenge, First Aid, Fluff, Multi, One Big Happy Family, Originally Posted on Tumblr, cw: blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-28
Updated: 2014-12-28
Packaged: 2018-03-03 23:39:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2892374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/savedatlast/pseuds/savedatlast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"This may sound a little crazy, but can I use your oven?"</p><p>Castiel blinked once, slowly. "Come again?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Snowstorms and Good Tidings

**Author's Note:**

> This is my submission for my first ever attempt at the Destiel Ficlet Challenge on tumblr. My prompt words were 'turkey' and 'power outage'.  
> This is also my only Christmassy fic for the year and it's three days late. How bout that.  
> Enjoy ;)

"This may sound a little crazy, but can I use your oven?"

Castiel blinked once, slowly, at the man he’d met just a few days ago, now standing in the doorway of his apartment. "Come again?"  
  
Dean clasped his hands together in front of him like a churchgoer kneeling at a pew. "My power's out, I'm supposed to have turkey dinner ready for my family in less than three hours and I didn’t have anyone else to call.” The snowstorm had blacked out several neighborhoods, his own included, and once he realized the power outage was going to hold for the foreseeable future, he’d done something a bit daring, and called the only person he knew who wasn’t out of town, staying in a hotel, or living on his block. Castiel had seemed a bit surprised, but had obliged when Dean had asked if he could ‘swing by’ just fifteen minutes prior. Now he was standing outside a fairly new acquaintance’s apartment, asking to commandeer his kitchen.

Castiel merely stared. He blinked again, processing, perhaps wondering if he heard right. "You want to cook an entire turkey dinner in my apartment?"  
  
Dean released the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, and unclasped his hands, running one through his hair in frustration. "Yeah, I know. It's too much."  
                 
Castiel shook his head minutely. "No – well, I mean it is a bit of an odd request, yes – but I was more so wondering how you planned on getting it all back to your house."

Dean didn't really have an answer for that. He hadn’t planned that far ahead. He’d panicked when 4:00 had come and gone and the lights were still off and he’d been running on impulsivity and adrenaline since then. "I guess I'd just have to load it into the back of my car and hope everything makes it there in one piece.”  
  
Castiel shook his head again, more determined this time, "It would get cold fast in this weather. And you said you have no power, and thus no way to reheat it, correct?"  
  
Dean nodded and slumped against the wall of the corridor, accepting defeat.

He’d been so stoked to have a big, traditional family dinner at his place this year, what with the rarity that was having his entire family back in Kansas at the same time for Christmas. He was going to cook a turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, the whole nine. He’d even phoned Ellen last week for her apple pie recipe, which he’d practiced making (it was delicious and he ate the whole pie in two days) in preparation for tonight.

Sam had flown in from Princeton with his fiancée, Jess; Bobby, Ellen and Jo were down from Sioux Falls; even Charlie and Gilda had promised to come before they caught their late-night flight to Florida to spend boxing week with Gilda’s parents.

Sadly it looked like his dream of eating so much food that he passed out at the table surrounded by the people he loved would be dashed for another year. He'd have to cut his losses and order a pizza. Pizza for Christmas. By candlelight. Oh yeah, this was well on its way to becoming a typical Winchester holiday.  
  
Cas’ voice distracted him from his pity party of one, "You could have your dinner here, if you'd like."  
  
Dean whipped his head around to search Castiel’s face for some sort of tell. His offer was just too good to believe. He looked sincere... but it was far too much for Dean to ask of a guy he just met a week ago. Or was it?

"You serious?” He pushed off the wall and stood before his would-be savior. Who knew they’d be in this situation only a few days after their first meeting. At a bookstore, of all places.

He’d been looking for a gift for Sam and had scoured half the non-fiction section already to no avail. He’d been staring at the same shelf for fifteen minutes, eyes glazing over and at a complete loss, when Castiel had hesitantly tapped him on the shoulder and asked if he needed any help. Castiel didn’t look like he worked there, but he did need help, so Dean told Castiel what his brother had asked him for. The man had disappeared around the aisle, reappearing moments later with the right book and handing it to Dean. Awestruck and more than a little relieved that he didn’t have to search the whole store for one damn book, Dean had offered to buy him a coffee.

After a little persuading, Castiel agreed and they headed to the adjoined café on the lower level of the massive bookstore. They ended up talking for a couple hours, about themselves, about books, and music and the upcoming holiday. Dean, of course, had exultantly shared with Castiel his grand plans to finally have a big family dinner. Castiel had remained fairly ambiguous, merely saying that he’d be having a more low-key Christmas this year.

By the end of their impromptu coffee, Castiel was the one to ask for Dean’s phone number. That had surprised him, he hadn’t pegged Castiel as the bold type, but it was a welcome surprise. Dean had grown fond of Cas in the short time they’d spent together. He’d received a text just that morning from Castiel: a simple holiday greeting followed by the emoticon of a Christmas tree. It was cute, and though Dean would never admit it out loud, he’d spent a few embarrassing moments smiling gleefully at the message on the screen.

Now he was standing outside Cas’ apartment, tempted by the prospect of a proper Christmas dinner with his family. But it begged the question…

“Don’t you have plans? Any family to spend Christmas with?”

Castiel shrugged with a small smile that maybe looked a bit lonely. "It’s just me. The rest of my family lives in California and I haven’t spoken with hardly any of them in years.” He shuffled his feet a little, leaning against the doorjamb. “To be honest, I wouldn't mind the company."      
                                                                
He would be doing Dean a huge favour, but he _had_ only just met the guy less than seven days ago _._ "It's too much man, I can't ask you to host a bunch of people you don't know."  
  
"Dean," Castiel reached across the space between them and laid an amazingly steady hand on his shoulder, holding his gaze firmly and with unnerving focus. "I would be happy to have you and your family over for Christmas dinner. This is an invitation. Not a burden, not an intrusion."  
  
Dean nodded. "Okay, Cas. Thank you. _Really_. You’re totally saving my ass here."  
  
Castiel smiled, less lonely this time, and dropped his hand from Dean's shoulder. He laughed brightly and it struck a chord somewhere in Dean that hadn’t seen the light in a long time. "Good. Now where's this turkey of yours?"

-

Dean was quite impressed to find a full-length dining table in Cas’ apartment. Castiel said it came with the rest of the furnishings when he moved in. He had been planning to downsize to a smaller table in the new year, as he didn’t do much entertaining. Dean counted it as extremely lucky that he hadn’t chosen to do it earlier. Perhaps it was fate.

When Dean mentioned this to Castiel as they were jovially working side by side in the kitchen preparing dinner to some jazzy Christmas CD of Cas’, his gracious host, who had insisted on helping with dinner even when Dean said it wasn’t necessary, had instantly flushed a rosy shade of pink. He blamed it on the oven making the kitchen too warm, and turned away to crack open the window above the sink. As Castiel reached up to unlatch the window, his shirt rode up and a sliver of Castiel’s lean frame peeked out from beneath grey flannel.

Dean caught a glimpse of lightly tanned skin and a sharp hipbone before quickly turning back to the yams he was slicing. Now it was Dean’s turn to blush. When Castiel turned back around to continue chopping carrots, Dean was fanning himself with a lettuce leaf like a total spaz.

“What are you doing?” Castiel asked, eyeing Dean’s face and the lettuce suspiciously.

Dean dropped the lettuce. “It _is_ kinda hot in here,” he offered weakly. Castiel somehow managed to narrow his eyes even more, but didn’t question him further.

Dean cleared his throat and sliced yams and didn’t look in Cas’ direction for several minutes.

-

The expletive that burst from Castiel’s mouth followed by the loud clang of a knife being dropped to the floor was enough for Dean to give himself whiplash turning his head to see what disaster had occurred.

Castiel was hunched slightly over the counter, tightly squeezing the tip of his left ring finger in his other fist. A small spattering of blood covered the cutting board and a few of the heads of broccoli Castiel had been cutting up.

“Christ, Cas, what did you do?” Dean carefully placed his knife on the counter and bent to pick up the one Castiel had dropped. Once that one was safely on the counter, Dean took Castiel’s closed fist and turned him toward the sink. “Can I take a look?”

Castiel nodded, looking pained and a bit frustrated.

Gingerly, he pulled Cas’ hand away from the injured digit. The pressure had kept most of the blood flow at bay, and the cut didn’t look too deep. Castiel hissed when Dean turned the tap on just to a gentle stream and guided his left hand under it to rinse away the blood. There was a bit more of it now, but it wasn’t anything to freak out about. At least, not to Dean. Castiel on the other hand looked like he was going to be sick. He had paled dramatically and it looked like his eyes were having trouble focusing. Dean knew that look.

He’d taken a first aid course when he’d first started volunteering at kids’ summer camps a few years back. Dean quickly patted down the skin surrounding the cut with a paper towel and after a quick rummage through a few drawers in the kitchen, found a bandage to wrap around it. At the camps, he’d dealt with some real squirmy kids that just had paper cuts or a bit of roadburn on their knees. At least Cas was holding completely still and making it easy for him to patch it up.

Soon as he had the white gauze securely wrapped around the wound, he dragged a chair over from the dining room and told Cas to sit down. He instructed Cas to lean forward with his head between his knees if he felt dizzy, and set about cleaning the blood off the counter and setting the tainted vegetables aside on a plastic bag.

He turned around to check on Cas to find him already standing. “All set?” Dean smiled assuredly at Cas, who was still pale but looking a bit less queasy.

Cas lifted his hand to inspect the bandage. “Thank you, Dean. I’m not very good with…” he drifted off, but Dean got the idea.

“No worries. I’m trained in first aid. You’re in good hands.” He grinned smugly and was rewarded with a small smile from Cas.

“I think I’ve ruined the broccoli, though.” Cas nodded at the counter, failing to hide a small cringe at the sight of the blood spattered vegetables.

Dean immediately wrapped the broccoli up in the plastic bag and tossed it straight into the trash along with the blood-soaked paper towels. They’d have to disinfect the counter before they prepared any more food. “That’s cool, never really did like broccoli anyway. Sammy can eat carrots.”

Castiel was on the same page, already grabbing a canister of disinfecting wipes from under the sink and popping off the lid. “Sam is your brother, yes?”

“Yep. My giant little brother.” Dean smiled fondly and took the container from Cas, shooing him back as he wiped down the counter.

Castiel cast a grateful look at Dean before sitting back down on the chair. “Who else are we to expect for dinner?”

Dean realized then that he’d told Castiel nothing about his family. He hadn’t even mentioned how many people were coming. “Let’s see… there’s Bobby and Ellen and Jo – Bobby and Ellen are basically our surrogate parents, they took care of us when we lost ours. Jo is Ellen’s daughter; she’s like a little sister to me and Sammy. Sam’s bringing Jess, they just got engaged last month – can’t believe my sasquatch brother managed to find a girl almost as tall as he is, and a fantastic one at that – and my best friend Charlie and her girlfriend are swinging by for dessert. They’re missing out on all this awesome food, but hey, at least they’ll get some pie.”

Dean looked up from his thorough cleaning of the counter to find Castiel staring at him with an unreadable expression. He suddenly felt self-conscious. “Sorry, I’m rambling.”

“Not at all.” Castiel smiled that curious, quiet little smile again; Dean vowed to discover its meaning one day. “Your family sounds lovely.”

Dean beamed, he couldn’t help it. As much as he wanted Cas to like his family, he also hoped they would like Cas as much as he did. He had a feeling he’d be sticking around. “Well they’re gonna be here in an hour, so let’s get this show on the road.” Dean winked and brought out some apples for the pie.

“You’re very good at this.” Castiel commented.

Dean looked up from slicing apples. He wasn’t sure what Castiel was getting at. “Good at what?”

Castiel raised his left hand and gestured at the newly disinfected kitchen counters. “Taking care of people.” He said it so honestly and without any hint of mirth.

Dean just shrugged and continued prepping the apples, ignorant to the contented grin that was spreading across Castiel’s face.

-

The buzzer sounded the arrival of the first guest just as they were putting the last dish of food on the table. Castiel pointed to the speaker box on the wall beside the door with a two tined serving fork, and Dean rushed over and pressed the intercom button. “Uh, Hello?”

“ _Let us in will ya, it’s flippin’ freezing out here.”_ Bobby’s cranky old-man demeanor came through loud and clear, producing a chuckle from Castiel in the kitchen.

“Yeah, hold your horses old man.” Dean retorted. He searched for the button to open the entrance, but couldn’t tell which one it was. Castiel’s hand appeared from just beside Dean’s shoulder and pressed the second of four identical buttons on the panel. A faint buzzing was heard downstairs, followed by the sound of Jo running up the single flight of stairs and pounding on the door.

Castiel was already back in the largely non-existent refuge of the open kitchen. Dean rolled his eyes lightheartedly at him as if to say _here we go._ He pulled the door open and was nearly bowled over by a short blonde elf. Jo was sporting a green tunic, red leggings, and a green and red elf hat complete with bells and felt pointy ears fixed to the sides. “Who the hell are you?” Dean held her at arm’s length and looked her over as she squirmed to get free.

“Shut it. I’m adorable.” She sniffed and turned her nose up at him – a difficult feat considering Dean was a good eight inches taller than her. Her eyes searched the room briefly before landing on their target. “So, you must be Castiel.” She practically hopped into the kitchen, separated from the living room by only a waist-height counter. As she approached, Castiel looked more nervous. Dean suppressed a laugh. Even at 5’4”, Jo was an intimidating force.

“Hello,” Castiel said warily. He offered her his hand, which she disregarded in favor of an enthusiastic hug. Cas looked over Jo’s shoulder at Dean with a mildly bewildered expression and Dean couldn’t hold back the downright un-manly giggle that burst forth.

In the time it had taken for Jo to acquaint herself with Castiel, Ellen and Bobby had made it up the stairs with a bag of gifts and a bottle of wine.

Ellen grabbed Dean in a fierce hug. “Good to see you, kid.” She gathered his face in her hands and smiled fondly at him til he blushed a violent shade of red and pulled away.

“Alright, alright.” He was greeted with a bear hug from Bobby, who thankfully didn’t try to embarrass him. “It’s good to see you guys.” He was grinning like the cat that got the cream now and he knew it would only get worse when Sam arrived.

He directed the two people who’d practically raised him toward the slightly shell-shocked man in the kitchen. “This is Castiel.”

Castiel’s ability to overcome the initial shock of Jo so quickly and smile graciously at the strangers in his apartment was commendable.

“Cas – Ellen and Bobby Singer.” Castiel shook Bobby’s hand firmly and wasn’t at all hesitant when Ellen, too, opted for a hug over a handshake. It looked like he was starting to understand just how open and warm the Singer-Winchester clan really was.

Before they’d removed their coats, the buzzer sounded again. Sam and Jess were here. Dean had the door open and waiting for him before they even got up the stairs. When they stepped over the threshold, Dean pulled his future sister-in-law into a tight hug before doing the same to his brother. Sam and Jess exchanged hugs with Ellen and Bobby and Jo, and then, because Castiel was still half-hiding in the kitchen, Dean pulled him out and introduced him properly to Sam and Jess.

They exchanged greetings, and while Dean was grinning like an idiot at Cas, Sam and Jess exchanged knowing glances with everyone else in the room.

They all marveled at the incredible Christmas dinner laid out on the table, each of them thoughtfully avoiding the most glaring question until Jess piped up half-way through the meal. “So how did you two meet?”

She was looking at Dean, who promptly choked on the forkful of mashed potatoes he’d just inhaled. While he was coughing and everyone at the table was trying to hide smirks, Castiel answered.

“I helped him find a book last week.”

They waited for the rest of the story, but when it didn’t come, Sam asked, “Do you work at a bookstore?”

Castiel shook his head as he chewed a bite of turkey and cranberry sauce.

Dean had recovered enough to shoot a glare at Sam who was looking quite amused. “I was lost in one of those huge friggin bookstores looking for your damn present.” He pointed his fork at his brother. “Cas helped me out, so I bought him coffee.” When Sam’s smile only grew he added with a sharp tone. “ _I’m nice like that._ ”

“You certainly are.” Cas remarked, completely oblivious to the silent conversation happening across his dining table. “All of you,” he was smiling bashfully at the small gathering. “You’ve been so warm and kind to me tonight. I’m just glad I could be of assistance.”

Dean was struck again by how genuine he was. How, even though Castiel had offered up his home to a bunch of strangers, _he_ was thankful for _their_ kindness and warmth. He didn’t care if everyone saw him cover Cas’ hand with his own and squeeze it lightly. Sam could shove it with that stupid grin of his. No pie for him.

It must have been a Christmas miracle but Cas didn’t move his hand away. Maybe he didn’t notice.

Dean didn’t move his either.

Ellen stood and raised her wine glass. “Castiel, we all want to thank you for letting us take up space in your home, and for sharing this wonderful holiday with us.” Bobby interjected with a ‘hear, hear’ and raised his glass with a nod in Castiel’s direction.

Sam and Jess and Jo all raised their glasses and shouted “Cheers,” as they clinked their glasses with everyone at the table. It was the very picture of a perfect family gathering, and Dean could not have been happier. He was surrounded by his family, and he was glad that Castiel was able to experience this too.

To think, if Dean’s power hadn’t gone out, Castiel would be sitting here by himself. Alone at Christmas. The image produced a sharp pang in his chest like his heart was being wrung out.

He nudged Cas’s arm whilst everyone else was busy toasting and clinking. “Hey,” Castiel turned to look at him and his eyes were misty and he had a definite pink tinge to his cheeks – though that may have been the wine – and he looked so incredibly happy that Dean wished he could get away with leaning in and just resting his forehead against Castiel’s, “I’m glad you’re here.”

Cas turned his hand over beneath Dean’s, entwining their fingers and squeezing hard. A silent thank you, but also, perhaps, something more. “Merry Christmas, Dean.”

Later, Charlie would arrive with Gilda, bearing whiskey and homemade gingerbread cookies; everyone would go overboard complimenting Dean on the pie until his face was as red as Jo’s tights from all the praise and alcohol; Sam would laugh as he dangled mistletoe, which he seemingly produced out of thin air, above Dean’s head as Cas came over to stand beside him. And just to shut his brother up – and maybe because he’d been thinking about it for most of the evening – Dean would lean into Cas and press their mouths together, murmuring ‘ _Merry Christmas’_ in his ear and flipping off a grinning Sam while Cas wrapped his arms around Dean’s waist and the small party erupted into whoops and cat-calls.

Both Dean and Castiel would chalk it up as the best Christmas either of them had ever had.


End file.
